Chapter 90 I Am Much More

Maximo ran to the exit of the office; Margaret followed him still confused.

As he walked, he pulled his cell phone out of his jacket pocket to call his spouse, but the tone sounded busy.

He had a bad feeling, Margaret assured that she had not sent that message and that only meant one thing, it was a trap, but from whom?

Maximilian? That could not be possible, Máximo had made sure that he remained isolated in prison, without communication with anyone. Valeria? It was a possibility, but as far as he knew, that girl was sent to another country.

Diego? he was always in love with Isabella, wasn't he? maybe he wanted to kidnap her, would he be able to do something like that? Máximo was not sure.

Ricardo and Héctor Sinclair were also there, although until now they had kept their distance after Máximo's threats, they could also be looking for some kind of revenge.

Margaret tried to keep up with him, worried, watching Maximo run towards the exit. "Can you tell me what's going on?"

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Sinclair..." Maximo stopped abruptly in front of the woman. "But I think something is wrong... You'll have to wait for me here, I'll go for Isabella myself.

Maximus left the penthouse, leaving Margaret in dismay.

"Hold on, my love... I'm coming for you," Máximo repeated to himself mentally, while pressing the elevator button full of anxiety and then, as soon as those doors opened, an idea came to his mind.

Máximo unlocked his phone again and tried to make another call, this time through video, they answered almost immediately.

"Mr. Collins?" “The face of Isabella's driver appeared on the screen. A small wave of relief ran through Maximus.

"Isaac... Where is my spouse?" - Máximo asked quickly.

"Inside the Sinclair mansion, sir, the lady must be with her grandmother..." The driver said.

"No, Isaac, my spouse's grandmother is here...

"What?" The chauffeur glanced momentarily at the mansion, confused.

"I need you to go get it, please, but be very discreet..." Maximo's tone sounded desperate and pleading. Isaac nodded in surprise. - Go and don't hang up the call, Isaac, as soon as you have it in front of you, you give him the phone... I need to see it.

"Yes, sir..." The man got out of the car, with the video call running. "Sir, the front door is open... It seems that no one is there..." The driver whispered as he advanced. - It smells very strange... Like burning wood.

The man advanced a little further and then saw him, a man dressed in a suit was talking against a closed door, apparently another person was answering him from inside the room.

"Sir..." whispered Isaac hidden behind a wall.

"What's wrong, Isaac?" “Máximo was already getting into his car.

"Look..." The driver turned the camera, trying to let Máximo see what was happening. Máximo recognized the man: it was Héctor Sinclair.

"Are you recording this?" Do it..." Máximo ordered. “Record this call.

"Yes, sir...

"It's not personal, Ricardo, I know you're my brother, but I already did it with Albert, I couldn't leave you so that later you would be first...

What?!, what did you do?

Yes, I ran over Albert... It wasn't fair, he had been banished and I finally had some chance with the inheritance, but then I found out that mom wanted to forgive him and bring him back... I couldn't allow it. Like I told you, it's not personal, brother... Only that I got tired of always being the last..."

The driver saw how the subject began to move away from the door and immediately hid.

Isaac didn't know why he was doing it, why he was hiding, yet he instinctively hid.

Perhaps from the words he had heard, had that man run over someone?

There, hidden behind the wall, Isaac felt how the smell of smoke began to grow stronger, at the same time that the footsteps of the man who spoke against the door sounded closer. Isaac's heart was racing, what was happening, what should he do?

"I'm sorry, sir... I must hang.

"What?!" Isaac...! “Maximo's voice stopped sounding.

And no matter how much Máximo tried to communicate again, the phone sounded like it was off.

"Damn!" Maximo growled, hitting the steering wheel, and then stepped on the accelerator of the car all the way down.

*

"Hector! Hector, open the meditate door! Hector! Unfortunate wretch! Open up, damn! Ricardo shouted over and over again while hitting the wood with every blunt object he could find.

The flames continued to grow rapidly, the smoke becoming thicker and thicker, making it difficult to breathe.

Ricardo couldn't take it anymore, he began coughing desperately, trying to find another exit, but it was a completely closed office, there was only a door and a small ventilation grille, there was no way to escape.

Isabella began to move around the office, because of the little space that had not yet been taken by the fire, she had seen Ricardo struggle with the door without being able to open it, so it was obvious that she could not break it down either.

The young woman kept her hands clinging to her belly, she was very afraid, the heat was beginning to become unbearable, the smoke became suffocating making her cough.

It couldn't end like this, what about her baby? Isabella's eyes filled with tears, and Maximo?

No, this couldn't end like this.

With all his strength, the young woman tore off one of the long sleeves of her blouse, Ricardo looked at her strangely, noticing how the girl moistened the fabric in a jug of water that was always kept on the desk and approached him.

"I took..." Isabella stretched the damp cloth towards Ricardo.

"What?"

“Take it, tie it to your face, make sure it covers your mouth and nose. Isabella explained, but Ricardo didn't move.

Then she placed herself behind his back, passing the cloth over the man's face to tie him from behind. Isabella was full of conviction.

- What are you doing, why are you helping me? Ricardo growled.

"Duck, keep your face down, we're going to get out of this, sir..." Isabella said confidently, pushing the man to the ground.

"And you?" Ricardo asked, astonished.

The young woman did not respond, she tore the other sleeve of her blouse and repeated the same procedure on her. Although it wasn't ideal, at least this would reduce the amount of smoke affecting them. The flames were getting higher and closer.

She crouched down to Ricardo's side, the door was very close, but they were practically surrounded by fire.

"Very well, sir..." Isabella murmured. Now we have to think of a way to open that door...

- It's impossible, you saw it, I couldn't even move it...

"Not by force..." Isabella thought for a moment. “In the shelter...

"What?" Ricardo looked at her strangely, but the young woman had a twinkle in her eyes, as if she had discovered the exit.

"In the homeless shelter where I lived..." Isabella repeated. "They used to open the doors using a card..."

“Card?

"Yes!

"Do you know how to do it?" Ricardo looked at her, incredulous.

“No, but what can we lose by trying? She got up, however, she stopped abruptly when she realized something. - My bag, I left it on the desk. She muttered, realizing that her bag was surrounded by flames.

"I have mine..." Ricardo took a wallet from the pocket of his suit.

"Oh, perfect! The young woman almost tore it from his hands, taking out several cards. "Do you want to try?"

"No, you're the expert..." Ricardo murmured, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm not an expert..." Isabella turned to the door with the cards in her hand and inserted the first one. "I'm not a thief, if that's what you think..." The card broke. Isabella tried again with the next card. "I'm nothing like you think..." The second card broke. She introduced the third. "I'm not a weak woman, nor an ignorant one..." The card broke. Isabella tried the fourth. "I'm much more than you saw or think..." The fourth card broke. Isabella raised the fifth and last one that remained. "And I'll prove it to you..." Because this destitute, the disinherited one of the family, as you all called me, will be the one who saves your life. The young woman inserted the card, inhaling deeply.